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- Luka Doncic and the Mavs look to advance to the Western Conference Finals as they face the Suns
- This incredible elimination game stat has many believing the Mavericks will win
- Read more NBA news here
The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of their second round NBA Playoff series. The series has been incredibly competitive, with both teams winning three games apiece to this point.
On Sunday, the two sides will face off to decide who heads to the Western Conference Finals.
Phoenix had a chance to close things out on Thursday, but Luka Doncic went off for 33 points to lead Dallas to a 27-point win. It continued an interesting trend for the European star in elimination games.
Doncic, though only 23 years old, has developed into one of the best big-game performers in the NBA. And judging by this insane stat, one of the best clutch players in league history.
Luka Doncic is averaging nearly 40 points in elimination games
Luka leads the list in PPG during elimination games:
LeBron James (33.5)
Alex Groza (33.5)
Michael Jordan (31.3)
Wilt Chamberlain (31.1)
Kevin Durant (30.2)Playoff magic ✨
(h/t @statmuse) pic.twitter.com/ZYnkVRIqyH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 15, 2022
Doncic is averaging 39 points per contest in elimination games, the highest total in NBA history. He’s besting LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kevin Durant.
Now, Doncic’s sample size is smaller than the rest on the list, but 39 points is nearly six points better than the next highest scorer.
In three careers elimination games, he’s posted totals of 33, 46, and 38.
The 46-point performance came in a loss to the Clippers last year. The 38-point effort was in a defeat to those same Clippers in his rookie season.
He’s hoping to improve to 2-2 in elimination games with the Mavericks on Sunday. If he puts up a 40-spot similar to his performances in the past, Dallas should have a great chance to move on to the Western Conference Finals.